VI’s ‘Rasta Law’ served useful purpose – Doug Wheatley
“I believe that [Rasta] law did serve a purpose as it was intended to,” Wheatley contended on the 3D Show aired on September 13, 2013.
He further expressed that he was not suggesting that the law should not have been repealed, but felt it was successful in “preventing a problem that was developing and creating”. He did not explain what these problems were.
The law was implemented in 1980 and lasted for 23 years until it was repealed by the National Democratic Party (NDP) government in 2003.
The 1980 Immigration and Passport Prohibited Class of Persons Order barred non-resident Rastafarians and hippies from entering the Territory without being granted prior permission.
The law provided immigration officers with the discretion to deny entry to persons visiting the Territory on various grounds such as if they sported or admitted to practising Rastafarianism.
Many persons, he said, talked about the fact that the law was discriminatory and that it should have never been implemented. But while he said this point of view could be understood, he ventured to say, “A country has a right to do what it thinks is necessary for the protection of its population.”
Wheatley added, “Although some of those things that are done are unpopular, the governments reserve the right to take such actions for the protection of the society as a whole.”
“Perhaps the time had come that it should be repealed, but I think that it served a very useful purpose at the time and I think we must take that as a point of view into consideration when we talk about the ‘Rasta Law’,” Wheatley stated.
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14 Responses to “VI’s ‘Rasta Law’ served useful purpose – Doug Wheatley”
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Out of Doug and Elton Georges I don't know who craving the spotlight more and don't realize that their time is just UP! WoW. They seem to be making more and more noise as they slowly exit the stage. What a horse and pony show. Or should I say, what a jack@$$ and donkey show!